Ni no Kuni Arriving In The West Next Year Courtesy Of Namco Bandai

Studio Ghibli and Level-5 have found a publisher to bring their gorgeous RPG Ni no Kuni over to Western shores, and that publisher is...*drumroll*...Namco Bandai! We reported that this might well be the case a few weeks back, and we're incredibly excited that it's now definitely happening for certain, with the English language version exclusive to the PS3 slated for next year.

'It was a momentous experience to create a game with artists who represent Japan as much as Studio Ghibli and Mr. Hisaishi do,' said Akihiro Hino, Level-5's president and CEO. 'We sincerely want to share this title with the entire world.'

To use its full title, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a heart-warming tale of a young boy called Oliver, who embarks on a journey into a parallel world to become a magician in an attempt to bring back his recently-deceased mother. As the little blurb from Namco tells it, 'along the way Oliver encounters many new friends who help him learn and grow. He can also befriend the wonderful creatures that inhabit this parallel universe, turning them into pets that Oliver can raise and collect a whole menagerie of. Why, he can even use these critters to battle other creatures on his behalf! Join Oliver as he explores the vast new world and faces a variety of formidable enemies.'

Indeed, Namco Bandai are pretty pleased to have landed this one, it would seem. 'The incredible people involved in this game give it a pedigree that is rarely seen in video games, and it’s a fantastic addition to our line-up for 2012,' said Olivier Comte, SVP at Namco Bandai Partners. 'It takes a very hard heart not to be thoroughly enchanted by the amazing universe they have created together.'